UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for the first visit by a UN chief to Syria in 17 years, signalling renewed international engagement as the country navigates its post-Assad transition.
Guterres was welcomed at Damascus International Airport by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani before beginning a three-day visit that includes talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa, senior officials, civil society representatives and members of the country's newly established transitional parliament.
The visit is the first by a UN secretary-general since Ban Ki-moon travelled to Damascus in 2009, two years before Syria's civil war erupted.
The conflict killed more than half a million people and displaced millions before regime leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024.
Backing Syria's transition
The UN chief is expected to reaffirm the organisation's support for Syria's political transition and reconstruction efforts at what UN Special Envoy Claudio Cordone described as a "defining period" in the country's history.
In addition to meetings with government officials, Guterres will hold talks with civil society groups and organisations supporting women's issues, underscoring the UN's broader engagement beyond state institutions.
Focus on regional security
Guterres is also scheduled to visit the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, where peacekeepers have monitored the Syria-Israel ceasefire line since 1974.
The visit comes as Syria seeks to rebuild ties with the international community and stabilise the country following more than a decade of conflict and political upheaval.
